1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to pop-up marine hardware devices for use in securing ropes, tow lines and the like and particularly to retractable cleat devices for use in marine vessel applications.
2. Prior Art
There are a wide variety of marine hardware devices used for securing tow ropes and the like to vessels and similar vehicles. One objective of many designs is to provide a cleat that can be used in an upright position for use in securing ropes and cables while allowing the cleat to be moved downwardly out of sight and out of the way of people walking on the deck. In addition, the elevated or retracted nature of the cleat may be used to advantage in locking and releasing an attached cable as in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,603,649--Hystad, 4,458,631--Hystad, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,423,697--Royset, and these often employ remotely operated hydraulic operating systems such as cylinders and jacks.
Devices that are designed to be retracted and therefore flush with a structural surface when not in use include U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,331,096--Lovejoy, and 3,771,488--Ecke, but these require tools such as wrenches to operate the mechanism. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,672,909--Sweetsir and 4,354,445--Kafka disclose retractable cleats which must be lifted and turned 90.degree. to be positioned in the upright condition. Other devices include the retractable cleat in U.S. Pat. No. 3,093,106--Lippincott which could easily be fouled by debris; and retractable cleats which employ a rotational locking feature such as those shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,270,478--Kafka, 3,126,859--Bigelow, and 1,402,496--Hoffman.
A number of retractable devices have been designed for use with trucks and cargo containers. See U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,321,000--Novak, 4,092,040--Tatina, 3,892,436--Fathauer, 3,737,135--Bertolini, and 3,682,432--Lapaich. This latter group of devices work in conjunction with vehicle surfaces such as those found in trucks, trailers, and railcars.